Fruit-drier.



No. 818,916. PATENTED APR. 24, 1906. M. RODGERS. FRUIT DRIRE.AAPPLICATION FILED Nov. 2a, 1905.

z SHEETS-SHEET 1.

mummy PATENTED APR. 24, 1906.

M. RODGBRS.

FRUIT DRIBR.

APPLlcATroN FILED Nov.28,1905

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Witnesses Si C MACK RODGERS, OF GRAVETTE, ARKANSAS.

FRUIT-DRIER.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented April 24, 1906.

Application filed November 28, 1905. Serial No. 289,539.

To @Zt LU/tom, t may concern:

Be it known that l, MACK RoDGnRs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Gravette,

in the county of Benton, State ot Arkansas, have invented certain newand useful 11nprovements in Fruit-Driers; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

This invention relates to fruit-driers, and has for its object toprovide a device ot this character which will thoroughly and quickly dryfruit of' any kind.

A further ob ject of the invention is to provide a series of drums intowhich fruit is automatically dumped and which are automatically openedto discharge the fr'uit after it has been dried.

The invention also includes means for revolving the drums during theirpassage through the drying-room.

In the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals of referenceindicate similar )arts throughout the several views, Figure 1 1s a sideelevation or' my device, the dryingroom being shown in section. Fig. 2is a side elevation of a portion of one ofthe walls of the drying-room.Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view in detail through oneof the fruit-carrying drums. Fig. 4 is a detail end elevation ot one ot'the drums. Fig. 5 is a detail view of one of the latches for theclosures ot' the drums.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 5 indicates the drying-room usedin connection with my device, and 6 the side walls of the same. Mountedupon the said side walls and extending inwardly therefrom are brackets7, upon which are mounted tracks S, having formed on their upper edgesrackteetli 9. Mounted upon stub-shafts 1t), located upon lthe said wallsslightly below alternate ends of the uppermost tracks S, aresprocket-gears l1. The said sprocket-gears 11 are disposed atdirectly-opposite points on the said walls,.as shown. The stub-shaftsupon which the lowermost sproeien-gears are mounted extend through thesaid sido walls G and are provided exterior to the said side walls withpulleys 12, driven by belts 13 in any suitable manner. (Not shown.l Thefrontend wall It ol' tht` deving-room is provided with openings 15 and16, and above the opening 1o and extending forwardly from the said walll4isa latforml7. Mounted in advance of the sai wall 14 are a pair ofoppositely-disposed standards 18, in the upper ends ot which are mountedthe ends of an idler-shaft 19, Which is provided adjacent its ends withs rocket-gears 20. Over the said gears 2O an the gears 11 are passedsprocketchains 21, the lower stretches or' said chains being arranged torunparallel to the lowermost tracks of the series of tracks in thedrying-room and thence upwardly and over the lowermost sprocket-gears.The said chains then run parallel and adjacent to the tracks next abovethe lowermost tracks, and so 011 throughout the series. Bearing-links 22are disposed at intervals throughout the chains 21, the said links 22being arranged in opposition to each other throughout the entire lengthof the said chains. Mounted in the said` bearing-links of each chain areshafts 23, upon which are mounted to revolve fruit-earrying drums 24.Each of these drums eomprises a foraminous body portion 25, which issubstantially cylindrical in form and which has its ends closed by meansot' circular plates 26. The body portion of the said drum is opened fora ortion of its circumference, and to the said ody portion is hinged acover 27 of the same material as the remainder ol the drum. A spring 2Sis secured to the body portion of the drum and the eover at the hingededges ofthe same, the said spring having a tendency to move said coverto an open position. To prevent the cover 27 from opening to too greatan extent, lugs 29 are provided thereon in such a position that theywill engage the body portion ol" the drum and limit the movement ot' thecover 27. The cover 27 is provided adjacent its ends with slots 30,adapted to receive keepers 31 on the body portion of the drum. Carriedby the said cover to one side ot" the said slots 30 are4 a )ertured lugs3)1, through which is engaged a sliding bolt 32. 'lhe end of' the boltl32 adjacent the keeper 3l is hooked to engage said keeper aud isprovided with a sloped linee which when engaged b v said keeper' byswinging the rover T to a closed position will cause the said bolt toslide in said lugs against the tension ol' a spring 34, seated betweenone ol" said lugs and a collar 35 on the said bolt, the said spring 34causing the hooked end ol" said holt 32 to be automatically engaged withthe keeper 31. The end otI the bolt opposite to i lc IOO its hooked endis curved laterally, as at 36, for a purpose to be hereinafterdescribed. Mounted on the shaft 23, adjacent each of its ends andexterior of the plates 26, are pinions 37, and mounted between saiddrying-room 5 and said standards 18 are standards 38, upon which andsaid standards 18 are arranged tracks 39, having formed on their up eredges rack-teeth 40, the said tracks being arranged in the path ofthesaid pinions 37.

,Power being applied to the belt13 to're- .drums through thedriying-room 5 the pins ions 37 on the drumaft engage the rackteeth 9,causing the said drum to revolve, the direction of revolution beingreversed as each track is reached, as will be readil understood.Disposed below the said rums in the drying-room is 'a suitable heatingdevice 41, which serves to heat the said drums and the fruit containedtherein during their passage through the said dr `ngroom 5. As the saiddrums pass throng the opening 15 the curved portions 36 of the bolts 32on each drum are engaged by trips 42, thereby releasing the said coverand depositing the fruit contained in the drum upon the platform 17.

After this operation the drums travel with.

their covers in an open positionuntil they reach the track 39, at whichpoint the pinions 37 on each drum-shaft engage the rackteeth 40 of thetrack 39, serving to revolve the drums and their covers. As the drumsapproach the opposite end of the said track the covers 27 are engaged bya trip member 43 andl are closed thereby. Immediately preceding theengagement of the covers 27 by the trip 43 the drum Vadjacent the end ofthe track 39 having been so revolved that its open side is Auppermostfruit is deposited therein from a hopper 44 in any suitable automaticmanner.

Iirom the foregoing it will be seen that my fruit-drier is entirelyautomatic in operation and that no handling of the fruit is necessary,the `saine being automatically deposited in the fruit-carrying drums andafter being dried automatically dumped from said drums. The prolongedcourse taken by the chain of drums through the drying-room 5 serves tothoroughly dry the fruit, the greatest amount of heat being applied whenthe fruit is wet and the least. amount being used when it is dryest,thuspreventing scorching of the fruit.

YWhat is claimed as new is- 1. I n a fruit-drier, the combination with adrying-room, and a heater therein, of a chain of fruit-carr Ying drumsYarranged for travel through sai room, and means whereby said drums maybe moved away from said heater during their passage through the saidroom.

2. In a fruit-drier, the combination with a drying-room and a heatertherein, of a chain of fruit-carrying drums arranged for travel throughsaid room, means` for revolvin said drums, and means for moving saidrums step by step from the said heater during their` passage through thesaid room.

3. In a fruit-drier, the combinationwith-a drying-room and a heatertherein, of a chain of fruit-.carrying drums arranged for passagethrough-said room, means for revolving said drums inalternately-opposite directions during their passage throu h the saidroom, and means for moving sai drums step by step from said heater.

4t In a fruit-drier, the combination with a drying-room and a heatertherein, of a chain of fruit-carrying drums arranged for passage throughsaidroom, means carried by oppo.

site walls of said room for revolving the said drumsvduring theirpassage through the said room, said means being'arranged to revolve thedrums in alternately-opposite directions and meansy1 for moving saiddrums backwardly andfforwardly above said heater and step by'step fromthe same.

e v,5, In a fruit-drier, the combination with a drying-room and a heatertherein, of a chain of fruit-carr ing drumsarranged for passage throughsa'i y room, and backwardly and forwardly above said heater and from thesame, means for revolving said drums in alternatelyopposite directionsand means for'moving said chain.

6. .'Ina iruit-drier, the combination with a dryingeroom and a heatertherein, of a pair of driven sprockets mounted upon opposite Walls ofsaid room, idler-sprockets mounted upon said walls, tracks arrangedabove' said sprockets and a track arranged below said driven sprocket, ashaft mounted exterior to said room, s rockets carried b said shaft, achain engage over said sproc ets, fruit-carrying drums carried b saidchain, means associ` ated with said rums for engagement with said trackwhereby saiddruins may be revolved during their passage ythrough thesaid room, closures for said drums, latches for holdin said closures inclosed position, and means or unlatching said closures subsequent IOOIIO

to the passage of the drums from thesaid room. 7. In a fruit-drier, incombination with a l v posed above said sprockets, standards mountedexterior to said room, a shaft mounted in said standards, sprocketscarried by said shaft, chains engaged with said sprockets,

drum-shafts connecting said chains', drums carried by said I'shafts andpinions carried by said shafts exterior to said drums, said drumsincluding hinged closures, means for holding Volving the said drum, andmeans for return- 1o said closures in a closed position, means arin(Tsaid closure to its normal position.

ranged for engagement therewith for releasn testimony whereof I affix mysignature ing said clsures, (sitanads mounted bin presence of tWowitnesses.

tween said rum an sai rst-named stan y ards, tracks supported By thestandards, said I MAGIX RODGERS tracks being provided With rack-teeth,the i said pinions being arranged for engagement with said iirst andlast named tracks for re- Witnesses:

L. M. SIPES, W. H. HoRToN.

